Our Location

Koritansky Hall, the home of the Center, is a classic church that was moved from Mecca, Ohio. The church was at one time home to a parish under the guidance of James A. Garfield himself. The building was painstakingly dismantled and restored at its current home in Hiram, Ohio.

Dedication of Koritansky Hall

In 2008 Mr. William Recker, a Hiram College Board of Trustee member, donated funds for the relocation, renovation and restoration of the former Church of Christ from Mecca, Ohio.

One of the oldest buildings on campus, The Garfield Meeting House has since served as the residence of the Garfield Center for Public Leadership. It opened in the spring of 2009 and features a meeting area on the first floor, a library in the loft and faculty offices in the lower level.

In 2012, Mr. Recker made another generous gift to the Garfield Center and in doing so has chosen to create a permanent legacy honoring Professor John Koritansky by re-naming the meeting house Koritansky Hall. John Koritansky, a Ph.D. has taught at Hiram College as a professor of Political Science for 42 years.

In addition, he was one of the founders and currently serves as chair of the Garfield Center for Public Leadership. He received an A.B. from Cornell University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and has been recognized as a Vencl-Carr Outstanding Teacher of the Year. He has received numerous grants for his scholarship, including a Fulbright Fellowship in 1995 to teach in the North American Studies Program at the University of Lodz, Poland. His publications include several articles in the areas of constitutional law, American politics, and political philosophy. He is the editor and a contributor to a book of readings on the history of the American Civil Service and his book, "Alexis de Tocqueville and the New Science of Politics," has recently appeared in its second edition.